


#7: The Bully Problem

by Winchester_Writer



Series: 10 Times Tony Stark Saved Peter Parker and 2 Times He Couldn't [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bullying and name calling, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 05:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20222341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winchester_Writer/pseuds/Winchester_Writer
Summary: Flash is acting up again, it's time for Tony to step in





	#7: The Bully Problem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Misaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misaki/gifts).

> Mentions of bullying, fighting, and name calling. 
> 
> Also, this is a gift to Misaki who was hoping for a more serious reaction from Tony. Here it is!

It had been a month and a half since Mr. Stark had strolled into Peter’s AP Chemistry class and pulled him out early. Since then, there wasn’t a peep from Flash, no name-calling, no taunting, no hitting, nothing. It was a month and a half of pure bliss, in Peter’s opinion. He could walk through the halls of school without Flash taunting him, without hearing his colorful nicknames, and without fear of being knocked down or hurt. 

Overall, Peter was doing a lot better and Tony could tell. He was always smiling when he walked into the lab, there were no more park bench talks, and Peter was healthy again. Tony had started stalking the lab and lounge with as many snacks as he possibly could, knowing that the kid needed extra food due to the spider-bite. The kid could go through an entire box of granola bars in about 3 days and Tony would always joke in his head that “Pete was eating him out of house and home.” Of course, Tony would never say that to Peter, because then he would stop eating. Little did Tony know that Peter would soon stop eating, without a word from Tony. 

Peter was walking down the halls of school, Ned by his side. All of the sudden Flash came up and pushed Ned, hurting his shoulder. Peter felt his Spider-sense tingle and he had to fight the urge to punch Flash square in the face. 

“What was that for, Flash?”

“Cause he’s fat and slow, easy target.”

“Oh no, you ever do that again and I’ll knock you on your butt and you won’t be able to get back up.”

“Wow, when did Penis Parker get so brave? Oh right, it’s because Mr. Stark will protect you, huh, got nothing to lose? You wouldn’t be so brave if you didn’t have Iron Man with you.”

“Guess what, Flash? Iron Man doesn’t look after me and I don’t tell him about stupid nobodys at school. He doesn’t even know you exist, so guess what, he doesn’t care about you.”

“Oh, big man now huh? How would big man take this?”   


Flash landed a solid punch to Peter’s stomach and Peter keeled over a bit. Flash walked away, snickering as he did. Ned immediately grabbed hold of Peter and helped him stand up straight. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Ned. Just stay away from Flash, okay?”

“But Peter he’s gonna keep hurting you.”

“I’m Spider-man, Ned. I get beat up for a living. I can handle Flash.”

Ned gave a small nod and the two walked away together into class. When Peter got home he rolled up his shirt and looked at his stomach. A dark purple bruise was forming and he wondered how Flash had managed to hit that hard. He rubbed it a bit and then pulled down his shirt. The bruise managed to fade over the weekend and he went back to school on Monday with a clear stomach and weary feeling in his chest. He was looking around, waiting for Flash to come out. He didn’t end up seeing Flash until the end of the school day when Flash caught him leaving school. 

“You think you can pull a stunt like that, Parker and just get away with it. I don’t think so.”

The first punch landed on Peter’s face and after that he didn’t really remember anything. He skipped lab day with Tony that day and this time Mr. Stark didn’t come looking for him, so that was nice. Mr. Stark however, did not think it was nice or good in anyway. He was pacing around the lab, wondering where Pete was. He had promised the kid that he wouldn't just automatically turn on the tracker on his phone anytime he was a little bit late, so Tony was honoring that. Tony was still freaking out, though, pacing back and forth wondering where his kid was. Meanwhile, Peter was sitting on his bed, bruises forming all over his face and arms. 

Peter showed up to the lab day on Friday, partially yellow makeup visible around his eye. Tony didn’t notice it though, he was just happy that Underoos had showed up and was working on a project. They worked mostly in silence, but Tony did notice that Peter didn’t bother to grab any snacks or to seek out comfort in the couch or tv of Stark lounge. He simply kept his head down and his hands working on new web shooters. Peter mumbled out a goodbye and headed home, leaving Tony wondering what was wrong with Underoos. 

It was decathlon preparation week and Flash was determined to make Peter’s life a living nightmare. He was pissed that Peter had taken first spot on the team and Flash was a bench-warmer, yet again. By the end of the week, Peter was sore all over, his body and mind no longer able to deal with everything. Flash had been stealing his lunch tickets again and anytime Peter was tempted to tell someone, Flash said that he’d go after Ned next. Because of that, Peter just took everything that came his way. 

“Yo, Penis Parker!”   


Peter sighed as he rounded the corner behind the school building. 

“What now, Flash?”

“Oh, you can’t take a punch to the stomach? Not such a tough guy now, are you?” 

Peter sighed again and slowly backed away.

“You know, I bet that Tony Stark is just using you as a pity project, a publicity stunt. Can see the headline now, “Tony Stark Hires Dumpster-Diving Penis Parker as a New Pity Project for SI.” 

“Shut up, Flash.”

“Oh did I hit a sensitive spot for poor pity-project Parker?”

The rage boiled over, “ I said enough, Flash!” 

Peter punched Flash right in the stomach and Flash growled at him, literally growled at him. That’s when the attack came and Peter simply took it, knowing that pity-project Parker deserved this. The next day, Peter told MJ and the teachers that he was bowing out of decathlon, that Flash should get first-chair. Flash threw a thank you at Peter and then headed up to the stage. Peter walked out of the auditorium with a limp. Peter could barely walk at this point, but that didn’t stop him from roaming around the city. He was trudging through back alleys and side streets, not caring what type of low-lives he ran into. Peter eventually did run into someone that he shouldn’t have. Spiderman could have easily taken him out, but Peter Parker was in no shape to fight. He lost his backpack, wallet, jacket, and scarf that day, all taken from him by knife-point and then a punch to the gut. 

Peter slumped down against the building behind him and let his head hit the wall. It was a Friday and they were supposed to leave for Decathlon on Monday. He told May that he was staying with Ned for the weekend and had already packed up, dropping off his stuff at Ned's house before school that morning. Luckily, the mugger hadn't gotten his phone, so he could periodically update May. He then thought about the fact that Mr. Stark was waiting for him, it was a lab day. Peter thought about this for a couple of seconds and then decided that he could just skip it. If Mr. Stark called, then he would just tell him that he was working on the Academic Decathlon stuff, he'd buy that, right? 

Little did Peter know that Tony had bought something else, a ticket to the Academic Decathlon. He had asked May if she was going and she said she couldn't get the days off from work. She was devastated that she was missing another Decathlon event, but money was tight and she needed the hours. Tony had stepped in and asked if May would be okay with him going and watching Underoos, so he wasn't completely alone up there. May had thanked him a thousand times and then excitedly said yes. Tony was currently packing a suitcase for the trip. He was going to fly up in a private jet on Sunday night and then surprise the kid on Monday morning when the first heat of the competition started. 

It was Friday night and Peter was still roaming around the city. He had called Ned and said that he would be by in the morning to say goodbye to him before he left with the team. Meanwhile, Peter had nothing to do and nowhere to go. He opted to just walk around Manhattan all night, he had never really seen it without the Spidey-suit on. It was freezing and he knew he was going to get sick, but he didn't really care. He walked all night and showed up at Ned's house at around 8 a.m. He said goodbye to Ned and made up some story about why he was so banged up to Ned's mom. Peter then made his way to a building and climbed up on to the roof, making his home there for the next couple of days. 

Tony was actually excited. He was sitting in his private jet, drinking scotch, and thinking about the fact that he had basically turned into a dad. He smiled and then turned on Back in Black, nervously waiting for the reaction on Pete's face when he would show up at the Decathlon tomorrow morning. Little did he know that Peter was currently sitting on a Manhattan rooftop, cold and hungry, waiting for this nightmare of a week to end. It was Sunday now and Peter spent the day just like the last. He went to Mr. Delmar's shop and bought lunch, paying by washing the dishes and cleaning up the store. He walked out with a sandwich and limped his way back to the rooftop, he sat there all day and fell asleep early in the evening, letting the blissful peace of sleep drown out the aching in his bones. 

Tony Stark had just arrived in D.C. and he was excited about it. He checked into his hotel room, raided the mini-bar, and then ordered room service. He sat there and decided he should text Underoos. 

"Excited about Decathlon tomorrow? I'm rooting for you, Underoos." 

He sent the message and then put the phone down on the bed, wondering what Pete's reaction would be. Tony was sure that the team was going to win, Peter was talking his ear off about how much training they were doing and how good they were at this point. Tony sighed and then let sleep welcome him. 

Mr. Stark had texted him and Peter had ignored him. He sat on the rooftop on Monday morning, shivering, his lips slightly blue because of the cold. None of his bruises or injuries were healing because he wasn't letting himself heal. It was Monday morning and Decathlon had just ended, Ned texted him just a second ago, saying they just got off the stage. 

Tony was panicked, he was sitting in the back and Peter wasn't there. He wasn't on the team. There was Ned, MJ, and Flash, stupid Flash, but Peter wasn't anywhere to be seen. 

"Wait, wasn't Flash a second, if Peter dropped out?" Tony thought to himself. 

The round ended and Tony practically launched out of his chair. He met the team behind the convention center when they were getting onto the bus. 

"Ned!" He called out. 

Ned turned around and blanched, he was staring at Tony Stark. 

"Uh" 

"Ned, where's Peter?" 

"Oh um Peter, uh, he dropped out Mr. Iron Man Sir." 

"What do you mean, dropped out?" 

"He ditched us on Friday, gave his seat to Flash, like a jerk," MJ interrupted. 

"Well, where is he now?" 

"Probably at home." 

Tony turned and walked away, grabbing his phone and calling May. 

"Hey May, how are you?" 

"Good, how's Peter doing in the Decathlon?" 

So Pete wasn't at home then. 

"He's doing great, the team is in the lead." 

"Awesome!" 

They had a brief conversation, Tony's mind swirling with thoughts. Where the heck was Underoos? 

Peter sat on the rooftop, his legs dangling over. He decided he needed to climb down, so he went over to the ladder. Shaking, he climbed down. He stumbled when he got into the alley and then fell against the wall. He was going to stay here for a little while. Peter let his eyes close and he drifted off to sleep. He woke up to the sound of thrusters and metal clashing with the ground. 

"Pete?" Tony asked in disbelief. The kid looked like death. 

He was pale, his lips slightly blue, his shirt hanging off his body, showing how much weight he had lost, his hair was greasy and matted to his head. Peter's eyes shot open and he looked up. 

"Mr. Stark?" 

He tried to scramble up, but instead fell forward slightly. Tony grabbed him and looked at him, seeing every bruise and injury. 

"Pete, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at Decathlon?" 

"Flash. He threatened to hurt Ned if I said anything." 

Tony's rage boiled over as he saw tears start to form in Pete's eyes. 

"Alright, Pete, alright. You're okay. It's okay. Let's get you to the tower, huh?" 

Peter nodded and Tony scooped him up, flying the two of then through the air and towards Stark Tower. When they got there, Tony set Peter down on a chair in the lounge and then ran to grab stuff. 

Tony was pissed, Flash had done all that to him. How long was this going on for? He thought that he had settled this issue. Tony grabbed a couple of blankets, a rag, and a bowl of hot water. He went out to Peter and covered him with a blanket. 

"Okay, Underoos, look up at me." 

Peter tilted his head up towards Tony and Tony wiped off the dirt and grime, showing the purple bruising around Pete's left eye. 

"I'm gonna want you to shower, Pete, but first we are going to eat and talk, okay?" 

Peter nodded his head. Tony went and heated up some leftover soup and a cup of hot chocolate. Peter would never admit it, but Peter loved hot chocolate, it made him feel like a little kid again, like he was okay. It reminded him of Uncle Ben who would make him hot chocolate anytime he was scared. Peter sighed and then picked up the cup of hot cocoa, taking a deep breathe in, smelling it. The smell alone warmed Peter up and he took a small sip, it tasted like heaven.

“Pete, why were you out in the alleyway?”

Peter, at this point, was tired and done, he just wanted to get out the story to 

someone, he didn’t care if that someone was genius, billionaire Tony Stark. Right now, Peter didn’t think of Tony as Mr. Stark, right now he was dad and Peter wanted to tell him everything. 

“A couple months ago, a month and a half after you came to class, Flash started bullying me again. He went after Ned first, but I got him to come after me instead, cause Ned doesn’t deserve that. He started stealing my lunch tickets again and the taunting started back up. Then he started getting physical, really physical and I was going home with black eyes and bruises. That’s why I skipped lab days sometime. And the week before decathlon he took to beating me up everyday cause he was angry about not being first chair. So I bowed out and let Flash take my place, but I couldn’t go home to May because she doesn’t know anything and I didn’t want her to freak out. I didn’t come to you cause then you’d tell May and it’d be a whole situation so I just roamed around the streets. Then I got mugged and lost my coat, scarf, and wallet, so I was cold and hungry. That’s when you found me this morning. How did you find me?”

Tony didn’t know how to process everything that Pete was saying. He simply knew that he had to get rid of Flash somehow. 

“I was at the Decathlon, Pete. I came to watch you and then surprise you. When I saw you weren’t there I asked Ned and then I turned on your phone tracker. You scared me to death, Underoos.”

“I’m sorry, M’ter Stark,” the tears were flowing now. 

Tony grabbed Pete and held him close, letting him cry and get everything out. He then sent him off to shower, telling him to take his time and warm up properly. As soon as Pete was gone, Tony made some phone calls, Rhodey had some friends who were still in the military and could help him out. He had a plan for Flash. He got on the phone with Rhodey and asked him to come over, explaining that his kid needed some extra support right now. Rhodey was over within 5 minutes, using the War Machine Suit to get there. They shared a brief hug and Tony explained the whole situation. The pair sat down at the table, waiting for Peter to come out. 

The shower felt so nice, he let the water wash away all the dirt and grime. When Peter stepped out he scowled at himself in the mirror, seeing all the bruises that covered him. He went out into the guest room and noticed that Tony had set out some clothes for him. There were some sweatpants and an MIT sweatshirt, Peter figured that Tony must have had two. He brushed his hair and then changed into the clothes, smiling at the softness. Peter walked out of the room and to the dining room, he stopped when saw there was another person there and Peter immediately started to shuffle out of the room, mumbling a, “Sorry Mister Stark.”

“Underoos, where are you going?”

Peter stepped back in, “Oh, you’re having a meeting, Mr. Stark, I didn’t wanna impose.”

The two men laughed and then Rhodey spoke. 

“This isn’t a meeting, Pete. I’m a friend of Tony’s, my name’s Rhodey.”

“Nice to meet you, Mister Rhodey.”

“Just Rhodey is fine, kid.”

Tony laughed and Peter nodded. 

“Good luck with that, Rhodes. I’ve been trying to get the kid to call me Tony for months, but it’s always Mister Stark.”

The two then got right to distracting Peter. Rhodey offered to play video games with him while Tony made a couple of more phone calls. He then walked out of the room and called May, explaining the entire situation and that he was handling it. 

Peter was having the time of his life. He had just beat War Machine’s butt at Mario Kart for the 8th time in a row. Tony had just come out and joined, together him and Pete kept making it impossible for Rhodey to win. The three of them then ordered a pizza and watched Star Wars until Peter was out like a light. Tony carried him to bed and Peter stirred, then mumbled. 

“Night, dad.”

“Night Underoos, sleep tight.”

Tony didn’t make Pete go to school that week, there were too many breakdowns and panic attacks, so instead he stayed at Stark Tower. The entire week he was calling Tony “dad” all the time and Rhodey couldn’t believe the sight before him. They really did look like father and son, Rhodey thought, but never said it out-loud. At the end of the week, Rhodey was heading home and Peter was hugging him goodbye. 

“Thanks for everything, Uncle Rhodey. Come and visit soon please.”

Rhodey smiled wide at the “Uncle Rhodey.”

“Now that name can stick, kid, and yes I’ll come see you soon.”

About an hour later Tony and Peter were on the couch laughing at some stupid comedy of some sort. Pete looked over at Tony, looking a lot more like a 5 year old than a 15 year old. To be honest, he felt kinda childish this week, but that was okay, he’d be back to his normal self on Monday and this was just a one time thing. 

“Hey, dad.”

“Yeah, Underoos?”

“I’m scared to go back to school.”

“Don’t be, Pete. I handled the Flash situation, it’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Have I ever lied to you, Pete?”

“No.”   


“Then you have nothing to worry about, Underoos.”

When Peter went to school on Monday, Flash was nowhere to be seen. He asked around and nobody had seen him. He finally went to the principal and asked. 

“Oh, Mr. Thompson received a letter from Tony Stark. He was chosen for a young, gifted cadets program that Mr. Stark is starting up. The bus came and picked him up this morning.”

“Oh, okay.”

Peter walked out of the office with confusion, but also a sense of relief. Flash was gone, although Peter did wonder where Mr. Stark had sent Flash. 

Flash was just finding out. He walked out of the bus and was at a military training facility. Rhodey walked up to him and smiled. 

“What is this place? This doesn’t look like a cadet facility.”

Rhodey basically barked at him, “Stand up straight, boy, drop the bag. Is this place not fancy enough for you? You used to mommy and daddy giving you everything you want? Well, that changes today, soldier!”  
Flash gulped and visibly shrunk, he was pissed at Peter Parker and even more angry at Tony Stark. 

“Drop the bag, now!” Rhodey yelled. 

Inside, Rhodey was smiling. He was going to be hard on the kid, but not too mean, just enough to straighten him out. He let a smile crack when he thought about Pete, and the fact that he no longer had to be scared at school. Rhodey watched Flash drop his bag and stand up as straight as possible, anger on his face. This was going to be fun. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
